Hopped Up Coffee - Fort Collins, Colorado - hoppedupcoffee.com

Hopped Up Coffee from Flat Hat Coffee and Old Town Spice Shop completely changed my world. Naturally, as someone who has a coffee blog, I have tried more types of coffee than I can count. Most of the coffee I've tried smells, looks, and tastes like how I think coffee should smell, look, and taste. That all changed the moment I opened my first bag of Hopped Up Coffee. For one, the grounds had more of a Tea look to them with several different ingredients thrown into the mix. It didn't smell like coffee either. Regardless, I forged on and made a pot.

Before I go any further, I want to outline the only objection I have about Hopped Up Coffee. The bags in the box I received were too small. It only allowed me to enjoy this unique experience for a short time. Drinking this coffee is like watching a good movie that comes to a screeching halt, leaving you with nothing but rolling credits and disappointment. The only difference is that you have the option to watch the movie again. The same can't be said for when you slug down every bit of the coffee you have in front of you.

I don't fault the makers of Hopped Up Coffee for this issue. They make a great product and I hope to establish a stellar long term relationship with them. That being said, I do not recommend buying Hopped Up Coffee in the smaller size if you're buying it for yourself. The sampler pack is perfect as a gift. If you get someone you care about this sampler for Christmas, you definitely need to recommend that they level up if they like it.

My favorite flavor in the sampler pack was the Black IPA. It had the boldness I like and all the interesting flavors that come with this type of coffee. The other flavors were fantastic as well. I went through the whole sampler in three days.

Hopped Up Coffee is a testament of why you should venture into the world of coffee with an open mind. There will be some things that will challenge your preconceived notions of what should be. And that's good. You should never go too long without having your firmly entrenched ideals thrown on their head. You never know what you will experience until you get up the courage to venture outside of your comfort zone.